The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus that can be utilized to significantly increase the solubility and dispersibility of consumer products such as food products, botanicals, cosmetic ingredients and medical products while at the same time reducing the biological load on such products. The products include those that have traditionally been treated with commercial sterilants or fumigants such as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, methyl bromide, hydrogen phosphide, steam (heat), irradiation, and the like.
Currently, ethylene oxide (EO) is the agent of choice for virtually all of the gaseous sterilization of consumer products performed in the United States. However, as discussed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/217,581, EO has a number of properties which limit its use as a sterilant.
Over the last fifty years, a number of other gases that lack one or more of the disadvantages of EO have been tested as sterilants. These gases include, for example, hydrogen peroxide, ozone and chlorine dioxide. However, as disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/217,581, prior to the invention disclosed therein, no other gas has proven to be as efficacious as EO for use in large volume industrial sterilizers.
A number of commercial fumigants are presently used to treat foodstuffs and other stored commodities. The most widely used fumigants are methyl bromide, hydrogen phosphide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen cyanide. As disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/217,581, many of these compounds pose hazardous conditions for application personnel and can form deleterious residues in the foodstuffs and commodities that are treated. Furthermore, some of the above-mentioned traditional sterilants and fumigants have been identified with the formation of carcinogens and mutagens, thus limiting the products that can be treated.
Other procedures that have been developed to treat products utilize heat, ionizing radiation, and other chemical compounds. All of these procedures are potentially detrimental to the products"" nutritional, physical and/or chemical attributes and thus make them undesirable.
U.S. application Ser. No. 09/217,581 discloses a method and apparatus to reduce biological loads in consumer products to eliminate human pathogens while maintaining product stability. The present inventors have surprisingly discovered that the method and apparatus disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/217,581 can also be used to increase the solubility and dispersibility of consumer products.
Although not limited to the following, the present invention in particular relates to method and apparatus that can be utilized to increase the solubility and improve the dispersibility of materials that are not naturally soluble in water (e.g., psyllium fiber) Ming OX. Thus, the present invention also relates to a highly soluble psyllium that has improved solubility and dispersibility in liquids.
Products containing psyllium seed husk (hereinafter also referred to as xe2x80x9cpsylliumnxe2x80x9d) are known to be useful for the benefit of normalizing bowel function and Taxation. In addition, recent research has demonstrated the effectiveness of psyllium seed fiber in reducing human serum cholesterol levels and in controlling blood glucose levels in diabetics.
Psyllium seed husk contains natural mucilage. It forms a gelatinous mass on contact with water, and it exhibits poor dispersibility and mixability in water. The psyllium husk particles tend to agglomerate when mixed with water. Hydration takes place over the surface of such agglomerated aggregates to form gel-coated lumps, the interiors of which are still substantially dry. These lumps are extremely difficult to disperse.
One way of reducing these problems while improving the taste of the psyllium product has been to use high percentages of sugar in the drink mix. The dispersibility and mixability are improved, but diabetics and people on reduced calorie diets may have difficulty taking such products in view of the high sugar content.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,263 to Powell et al. discloses a method of improving the dispersibility of psyllium powder. It is described therein to wet the psyllium particles with an alcoholic solution of at least one of polyethylene glycol and polyvinylpyrrolidone and granulating the thus-coated particles.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,459,280 and 4,548,806 to Colliopoulos et al. describe improving mixability and dispersibility of psyllium mucilloid by applying a film of hydrolyzed starch oligosaccharide, a mono- or di-saccharide, a polyglucose, or a polymaltose to the psyllium. Preferred therein is agglomerating the psyllium mucilloid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,331 to Rudin describes a modified dry dietary fiber product which is said to be readily dispersible in liquids. The dry dietary fiber product (e.g., psyllium) comprises a coating of from 0.05 to 20% of a food grade emulsifier. The processes for making such products are said to comprise blending the dietary fiber product materials with the mixture of a non-toxic solvent in a food grade emulsifier follow by removing the solvent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,842 to Furst et al. discloses a fibrous, vegetable material coated with a combination of a major amount of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and a minor amount of polyethylene glycol to aid in the wetting and dispersing of the fibrous, vegetable material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,570 to Barbera discloses the use of an edible acid dispersed throughout the agglomerating coating applied to psyllium husk to improve mixability, dispersibility, and product aesthetics, for psyllium husk products having low (less than about 20%) sugar content.
Each of the methods described above require treating the psyllium product with one or more substances to increase the solubility and dispersibility thereto. Thus, while there has already been much research devoted to improving the solubility and dispersibility of products such as psyllium in liquids, there continues to be a need for improved products and processes for obtaining readily soluble, dispersible products.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide commercial products having improved solubility and dispersibility in a liquid such as water.
The method and apparatus of the present invention increase the solubility and dispersibility of consumer products during sterilization or fumigation, even while the product is in its original container (e.g., burlap bag, fiber drum, kraft paper bag, plastic bag, etc.).
The method of the present invention utilizes a gaseous mixture containing O1, O2 and O3 (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cOXxe2x80x9d ) in a technologically advanced treatment system. Prior O3 treatments of consumer products include, for example, (1) the submersion of an article in ozone-containing watered the bubbling of ozonated water over article (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,159 to Karlson, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,872 to Burleson); and (2) the static treatment of medical devices and food products with gaseous ozone (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,017 to Shapiro et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,880 to Karlson, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,512 to Masuda.) Systems utilizing ozone as described above have encountered several limitations. The incorporation of ozone gas into water and then submersion of item(s) or the spraying of ozone treated water onto the surface of item(s) limits the process to products that can be soaked in water. The few gaseous uses of ozone have been limited to the surface treatment of medical devices and the like due to the lack of adequate penetration into compacted products. Thus, although these past processes have proven the efficacy of ozone as a sterilant, the limitation of the use of ozone as a surface treatment has not presented ozone as a reliable sterilant or fumigant for products contained within commercial containers. Furthermore, until recently, high concentration ozone generators, which would have allowed the present invention to properly function, have not been commercially available.
The present invention requires a relatively high concentration of OX for an extended treatment period to assist the required permeation of the OX into the substrate being treated. In addition to the generation of the ozone molecule, the present invention also utilizes the quenching effect of other inert gases to assist ozone generation, thereby increasing the stability of the OX radicals. A combination of oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon, and nitrogen have been used in the method of the present invention to achieve these factors. In addition to the benefits discussed above, the use of small quantities of carbon dioxide results in an increase in the rate of respiration in insects and some microbes, thus further aiding the action of the OX gases. Furthermore, the presence of atmospheric nitrogen has been utilized in the food industry for many years to protect sensitive oils and fats from oxidative rancidity. Small quantities of nitrogen can be used in the method of the present invention to assist in the protection of sensitive food components as well as assisting in the stabilization of the OX generation.
As an aid to understanding the invention, but without being limited thereby, the present invention is based on the discovery of the following:
1. That the method of the invention significantly reduces the hydrophobic characteristics of such products, as demonstrated below using psyllium husk, by fractionating the surface waxes or oils without damaging the gums or the cellular structure of the product. This is an advantage over other processes which may utilize chemical solvents or milling techniques.
2. That thermal degradation does not occur, since the method operates at temperatures near or below normal ambient temperatures. Superheated steam systems tend to cause some damage to these products by driving off desirable volatile compounds, color shifts, and incorporating undesirable moisture in or on the product.
3. That a slight surface bleaching is evident upon treating products such as psyllium. This is a desirable trait as the product is utilized in the industry. Typically, brown, yellow and red products demonstrate a greater degree of bleaching than do green products. whereas the OX treated psyllium remained suspended for a minimum of 24 hours.
4. That residues were not created during the inventive method. Although normal oxidation reactions occurred, the OX radicals rapidly reverted to atmospheric oxygen.
5. Powder agglomeration and extrusion techniques have previously been utilized to assist the mixing of powdered products into aqueous and other solutions. Unfortunately, the agglomeration process also incorporates and encapsulates microbiological organisms which protects the organisms from traditional fumigation and sterilization agents. The method of the invention initially reduces the microbiological load and leaves the product available to be treated by other fumigants and sterilants if further bio-reduction is desired.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for increasing the solubility and dispersibility of consumer products.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for increasing the solubility and dispersibility of consumer products in a safe manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simple, efficient and economical method and apparatus for increasing the solubility and dispersibility of consumer products that can be used at the site of production and/or packaging of such products.
In accordance with the above and other objects, the inventive method comprises applying a continuous stream of OX gas to a material in a sealed chamber. The continuous stream of OX gas is prepared in an OX generation cell, which contains a means for generating the OX gas at a pressure less than about 20 lbs./in2 using, for example, one or more of the following: corona discharge, high frequency electrical discharge, ultraviolet light, x-ray, radioactive isotope and electron beam.
As discussed herein, a small percentage of N2, CO2 and/or Ar may be added during OX treatment. The addition of 0% to 15% N2, 1% to 80% CO2 and/or 1% to 18% Ar increases the generation of an OX quenching effect. Penetration of OX into the material being treated is thus enhanced. In addition, Argon is unique among the (inert) Noble Gases, in that is soluble in both water and organic liquids. (The Merck Index Eleventh Edition.) This characteristic theoretically enables Argon to become a glue of sorts. Argon is capable of attaching to gases without reacting thereto. Argon thus assists in OX quenching by attaching to the OX molecules and preventing the OX molecules from colliding into each other. Argon also loosely binds hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials, thus allowing one to be diffused through the other, with reacting with either. This characteristic is useful in accelerating the diffusion of OX into and through hydrophobic materials such as fats, oils and cell walls.
The inventive apparatus comprises:
(a) a chamber;
(b) a vacuum pump coupled to the chamber;
(c) an OX generation cell, wherein the OX generation cell contains a means for generating OX at a pressure less than about 20 lbs./in2 using, for example, one or more of the following: corona discharge, high frequency electrical discharge, ultraviolet light, x-ray, radioactive isotope and electron beam;
(d) a first control valve coupled to the chamber and the OX generation cell, wherein the first control valve is capable of permitting OX to be drawn from the OX generation cell into the chamber; and
(e) a second control valve coupled to the chamber, wherein the second control valve is capable of withdrawing OX contained within the chamber out of the chamber.
Water vapor may be introduced to the gaseous OX to maintain an appropriate humidity level, i.e., between about 20% and about 98% relative humidity, and, more preferably between about 40% and about 75% relative humidity. The appropriate humidity level is dependent upon the ambient humidity and upon the product being treated. For example, granular and powered products require a relatively low humidity level to prevent growth of mold and yeast thereon. However, depending on the length of treatment time, the vacuum created during the process removes humidity, thus requiring the addition of humidity. The OX gas may then be passed through a commercially available catalytic destruct unit to eliminate any residual O3 and O1 before the gas stream is discharged to the atmosphere.
The present invention is also directed to treated consumer products that result from use of the present inventive method and apparatus.
Additional objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the description and examples that follow, or may be learned from practicing the method or using the apparatus of the present invention. These and other objects and advantages may be realized and attained by means of the features, instrumentalities and/or combinations particularly described herein. It is also to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory and are not to be viewed as limiting or restricting the invention as claimed.
The invention itself, together with further objects and attendant advantages, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.